Dear Everybody:
The big story of the day is that Pete Hegseth just threw the admiral in charge of the strike that killed the two guys in the water under the bus:
--Hegseth: "Let’s make one thing crystal clear: Admiral Mitch Bradley is an American hero, a true professional, and has my 100% support. I stand by him and the combat decision he has made on the September 2 mission and all others since. America is fortunate to have such men protecting us. When this Department of war says we have the back of our warriors--we mean it."
--(Note: Someone must have told him that killing helpless people in the water clinging to the wreckage of a blown-apart boat is a war crime by the Geneva Convention, the laws of land warfare, and the UN charter.)
--Erin Burnett and Chris Murphy listened to his speech and then Burnett said, "Okay, let me just translate this into, ‘he’s pinning this on Bradley,’ okay?" Chris Murphy: "He is passing the buck. He sort of sees the freight train that is coming, right? That both Republicans and Democrats are coming to the conclusion that this was an illegal, wildly immoral act. And he is shifting the blame. It’s the opposite of ‘the buck stops here.’ And boy, it’s a chilling signal to everyone in the chain of command that the Secretary of Defense does not have your back...he is basically telling everyone, all of his generals, all of the professional staff at the Department of Defense, that ‘I’m going to save myself if things get tough.’ And that’s just devastating for American national security."
--Washington Post: "Hegseth, with White House help, tries to distance himself from boat strike fallout."
--Brett Meisalas: "This is the most transparent blame-shifting I have ever seen, all disguised as support."
--S.V. Date: "Admiral Bradley? Allow us to introduce you to the underside of this large bus."
--Time2Resist: "Wow. Kegsbreath is...an absolute fucking coward."
--Brandon Friedman: "Hegseth is very transparently blaming a Navy admiral for his own decision. Let this be a lesson for every other military officer. The Trump administration will issue unlawful orders, then blame you for following them."
--Bill Kristol says Hegseth wants you to believe that "he was there, watching live, didn’t issue any orders but was extremely happy that the spiritof the orders he never issued were executed anyway, which he took credit for in real time and hailed as a glorious triumph without revealing it wasn’t."
--The problem with what Hegseth is doing that the admirals and officers have documentation of what happened.
--The other problem is that Hegseth has spent all his time up to now bragging and blowing about how tough he is: "We’re training warriors,not defenders. We fight wars to in, not to defend. We also don’t fight with stupid rules of engagement. We untie the hands of our warfighters to intimidate, demoralize, hunt, and kill the enemies of our country. No more political correct and overbearing rules of engagement, just common sense. Maximum lethality and authority for warfighters."
Hegseth and the White House have run the full gamut of responses to this situation during the last few days:
--First they denied it ever happened, pronouncing the entire story false and saying CNN and the Washington Post "just fabricate anonymously sourced stories out of whole cloth."
--Then, when it became obvious that the strike really had happened and there was video of it, the White House confirmed that the second strike happened and that Hegseth authorized Admiral Bradley "to conduct these kinetic strikes."
--Hegseth went on Fox to boast about the incident and describe it with ghoulish relish, saying "I watched it live," and "We have only just begun to kill narco-terrorists," and to show the first part of the video (but not the second.)
--Trump said the second strike was a good thing, "conducted in self-defense to protect US interests."
--The White House and Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Hegseth authorized the second strike on the boat during a press conference in which Karoline Leavitt was asked, "What makes you say the second strike was lawful?" "Did Hegseth say everyone should be killed?" "Does pardoning the drug-trafficking Honduran ex-President undercut the message?"
--Even Fox was asking uncomfortable questions. Fox Reporter: "You said the follow up strike was lawful. What law is it that allows no survivors?" Leavitt: "The strike was conducted in self-defense to protect Americans."
--Meanwhile, Hegseth and the White House refused to provide Congress with Hegseth’s written "execute" order, the videotape, and/or any information at all on the strike.
The responses have been widespread in condemning the action:
--A growing number of Republican lawmakers may be willing to turn on Hegseth and impeach him.
--Senator John Thune snubbed Hegseth after a meeting among top Congressional leaders on the attacks on the boats and the double strike.
--Professor emeritus of the US Naval War College Michael Schmitt: "I can’t imagine anyone, no matter what the circumstances, believing it is appropriate to kill people who are clinging to a boat in the water. That is clearly unlawful."
--George Conway: "There is no war between us and Venezuela, and these people were not sailors or soldiers fighting with weapons against us, so that the law of war doesn’t even apply. You don’t even get to the law of war. But even if it were, even if these guys were on a naval ship armed to the teeth and the ship was blown up and these guys were in the water, firing against them would be an act--would be a violation of the laws of war. No matter how you look at this, you can apply civilian law, military law, the Uniform Code of Military Justice, international law, foreign law, domestic law, federal law, state law. No matter what legal regime you apply to, it’s murder. Period. It’s not even an argument--that’s how outrageous this is."
--Miles Taylor: "I spent two years in the Trump administration. During that time I saw how the President handled national security decisions. One of my biggest takeaways was this: He fantasized regularly about maiming and killing unarmed civilians."
--Richard Blumenthal: "Hegseth needs to go. Whatever his personal criminal culpability--which seems high--he must be accountable for approving lawbreaking. He’s created a Department of Defense environment and culture that condone, even exult lawlessness and reckless military violence."
--Bill Kristol: "Their expertise ranges from ordering war crimes to covering up sex crimes to engaging in all manner of financial criminality."
--Wayne: "War crimes by Hegseth and Trump are extrajudicial murders. This calls for a tribunal hearing with the power to enforce and prosecute these to incompetent people."
--Master-Shake: "Now Pete Hegseth can have his new title, the Secretary of War Crimes."
Even the publisher of the kid’s book that Hegseth altered to show Franklin the Turtle blowing away boats issued a statement: "Franklin the Turtle is a beloved Canadian icon who has inspired generations of children and stands for kindness, empathy, and inclusivity. We strongly condemn any denigrating, violent, or unauthorized use of Franklin’s name or image which directly contradicts these values."
But Megyn Kelly seems determined to out-Hegseth Hegseth and Trump:
--Previously famous for saying Santa Claus has to be white and saying Epstein wasn’t really a pedophile because the girls were fifteen and not eight (she called them "barely legal," which was not true--they are illegal), she also weighed in on the second boat strike.
--Not content with just killing helpless people clinging to the wreckage, she announced she wants to see them suffer: "So I really do kind of not only want to see them killed in the water, whether they’re on the boat or in the water, but I’d really like to see them suffer. I would like Trump and Hegseth to make it last a long time, so that they lose a limb and bleed out. Like, I am really having a hard time ginning up sympathy for them."
--Metro Weekly editor Randy Schulman: "There is something seriously wrong with this woman."
--Martina Navratilova: "She is a full-on psychopath now!"
The other big story (maybe) is that Trump announced this morning he will make a big announcement to the nation at 2 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, right after his cabinet meeting. No one knows if he’s going to declare war on Venezuela, pardon Ghislaine Maxwell, announce he’s tearing down the rest of the White House, or what.
--He was up all night posting 160 plus--that’s right, over 160!--deranged posts in a matter of hours, including Attacking Eric Holder,calling Ilhan Omar "a terrorist from a terrorist family," and calling the Democratic vets who urged troops to defy illegal orders "a threat to America."
--He reposted an Alex Jones diatribe claiming Michelle Obama signed all of Joe Biden’s pardons. "And then you’d love to see, who knows if they charged a million dollars a par--who knows how that--that’s so illegal! That is so illegal!" (Okay, so now we know how much Trump is charging for all those pardons of his.)
--Trump posted an AI generated video from Elon Musk of Trump order the takeover of Minnesota.
--He accused Biden’s chief of staff and Hunter Biden of being "SECRET PARDON PUPPET MASTERS."
--Republicans Against Trump said Trump’s posts are "spiraling out of control."
--Sundown Syndrome--confusion, anxiety, and agitation worsen as daylight fades--confusion, restlessness, moodswings, paranoia, trouble sleeping, delusions.
--So who knows what his announcement will be. Stay tuned...
In Trump’s MRI news:
--Yesterday afternoon Trump’s doctor, Sean P. Barabella, D.O, released a letter saying that the MRI was "preventative to identify any issues early, confirm overall health, and ensure the president maintains long-term vitality and function. President Trump’s cardiovascular imaging was perfectly normal. The imaging was done "because men in his age group benefit from a thorough evaluation of cardiovascular and abdominal health." (Then why doesn’t any other guy in this age group get an MRI in their annual checkup?)
--No evidence of arterial narrowing impairing blood flow or abnormalities in the heart or major vessels. The heart chambers are normal in size. The vessel walls appear smooth and healthy, and there are no signs of inflammation or clotting. Overall, his cardiovascular system shows excellent health." (So why does he have those swollen ankles, which are a symptom of heart failure? Also, in the report released earlier, they said Trump was diagnosed with "chronic venous insufficiency," which doesn’t match at all with his blood vessels being in perfect shape.)
--They also said Trump’s "abdominal imaging" was perfectly normal. "Everything evaluated is functioning within normal limits with no acute or chronic concerns."
--The letter was greeted with skepticism. For one thing, it’s not the results, it’s a letter about the results. And for another, as ex-White House cardiologist, said, "Well, there really is no preventative cardiac MRI. This is not a standard test for, you know, an 80year-old man to undergo advanced imaging. Of course, the whole note has kind of a weird, defensive, you know, evasive tone to it. First of all, this is not part of the president’s comprehensive physical examination...If you look at his first administration, the president, like most presidents, only underwent one comprehensive physical exam every year. So this comes completely off-cycle. Second, it’s filled with euphemisms. Again, Dr. Barbara Bell, the president’s physician, states that he underwent advanced imaging. Well, what specific advanced imaging did the president have? Was it an MRI, as the president said? Was it a CT scan? Did he have both? Why not just spell it out?"...This kind of piece-by-piece, drip-by-drip release of information is disconcerting."
--Retired nurse Linda Moniak: "So laughable. They don’t just do MRIs for fun."
--Jaybird3939: "As having worked for a great many doctors, I’ve never seen a report say ‘perfectly normal.’ The word ‘perfect’ is never used, and ‘normal’ would be phrased as ‘within normal limits’ or WNL. They’ve obviously done another fake report from a doctor, either bribed or blackmailed. We still don’t know why he had an MRI."
--(((What Fresh Hell))): "Imaging is NEVER preventative. It is ALWAYS diagnostic."
--Mike Day: "Anyone who has had an MRI knows that it is targeted diagnostic imaging used to expose problems not visible via other imaging means. I had an MRI to diagnose a suspected rotator cuff tear, and it took about 15-20 minutes of my lying perfectly still while they imaged ONLY my left shoulder."
--Jennifer R. Povey: "’It shows excellent cardiovascular health except that the problem is that you ONLY do a cardiac MRI if the person is having heart problems. So by definition, he’s not."
--Gustavo: "Wow, they really think Americans are as dumb as MAGA."
--Governor Newsom had the best answer. He posted a letter on HIS medical checkup, signed by "Dr. Doolittle" that is just great. It reads in part: "I’m pleased to report that nothing about the governor’s health is merely ‘normal.’ Governor Newsom remains the healthiest human currently alive or recorded in medical history. His cardiovascular scans are the best we’ve ever recorded--his arteries were described as ‘shimmering’--and his resting heart rate was so steady the EKG machine asked if he was meditating or just naturally enlightened...Governor Newsom completes full workdays without falling asleep in meetings, does not require ‘executive time’ to lie down and watch TV during work hours, and is able to stand upright without looking like the Leaning Tower of Pisa."
In resistance news:
--The DHS has been using Norman Rockwell’s paintings in their blatantly Nazi recruitment posters WITHOUT PERMISSION, and Rockwell’s estate is furious.
--The statement from Frank D. Russo: "We’re Norman Rockwell’s family: Trump’s DHS has shamefully misused his work in Protect Our American Way of Life. Without permission. If he was alive today he would be devastated that his work was used for persecution of immigrant communities and people of color. He fought for them." (When you’ve lost Norman Rockwell...)
In other news:
--Trump fired 8 immigration judges in New York City on Monday.
--Pam Bondi is planning to indict James Comey a second time, with the grand jury meeting as soon as this week. (Note: The statute of limitations has run out on his alleged lying to Congress, and it’s not clear what else she can charge him with.)
--Pam Bondi has been hit with a sexual discrimination suit from an immigration judge, Tania Nemer, who Bondi fired, claiming she was fired because Trump had the right to discriminate against her sex.
In good news:
--Stories about Trump’s age, health screenings, and dementia are multiplying daily, both online and in print media.
--A new group named Grandparents for Vaccines has been formed to share stories of life before vaccines and explain why vaccines are valuable.
--Costco is suing Trump for a refund of the tariff tax it has been forced to pay, claiming that the tariffs were imposed illegally by Trump.
Best comment of the day, from Rick Wilson: "It’s a gloomy morning of pouring rain, but look at the upside: at least I haven’t committed war crimes and I’m not in the Epstein files."
Keep calm and carry on,
Connie Willis